Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
DANGEROUS DRIVERS * Thailand
* Thailand - Bus operators are risking the lives of passengers
(Photo: Double-decker bus crash in Phuket)
Bangkok,Thailand -The Bangkok Post -23April 2014: -- Many people traveling during these long break holiday days, resulting in an increase in road accidents. This is why the New Year and Songkran holidays are dubbed the "seven dangerous days". Songkran this year resulted in a staggering number of road-related accidents, 366 deaths and 3,345... Another alarming road accident statistic involves public buses. In the six months from October last year to April this year, there were 97 deaths from four major accidents involving double-decker buses. Several factors caused these bus accidents, such as inexperienced drivers or drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and poorly maintained roads and bad weather. Another important factor is the road worthiness of the vehicle. The recent accidents damaged the public's confidence in bus transport, especially double-deckers... Labels: dangerous drivers
PASSENGERS TRANSPORT * Chile: Transantiago Buses
* Santiago - Transantiago Buses to the Airport in 2015
(Photo: Bus traveling by Casa de la Moneda, Government House, Santiago,Chile)
Santiago,Chile -I love Chile, by Annette Faul -April 24, 2014: -- In the second meeting of the new board of Metropolitan Public Transport, the Minister of Transport and Telecomunications, and Minister of Public Works, announced the agreement that will allow the system of Transantiago buses to become connected to the Santiago airport. Travelers making use of these buses can pay the fare wih their BIP! Cards... The MOP further said that, in the end, everything will depend on the demand and how important it is that the city remains connected to the airport via public transport...Labels: passengers transports
BUSMAKERS NEWS * India - Tender from DTC
* Guyarat - BRTS unable to find operator for new fleet
(Photo: Ahmedabad's bus system)
Ahmedabad,GUY,India -The Times News of India -Apr 28, 2014: -- For almost one-and-a-half years now, the Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) has been waiting for an operator to take the responsibility of running the 223-bus new BRTS fleet. The delay is because of bus manufacturers who are taking their own time to deliver the first installment of 127 buses... For nearly two years, two companies have been trying to build the country's first 'urban bus' for the BRTS corridor in Ahmedabad. These models would then become the standard for the entire country. Tata and Corona had both developed designs that meet the specifications for the city's BRTS buses. The two companies had brought their prototypes for approval by the AJL board and the urban development department... It was for the seventh time that the AJL had called for new operators for the new fleet of buses. Earlier, no operator had come forward for want of buses. The tenders were postponed in February, April, June, September, December, March and now May...
* Delhi - Global tender for buying DTC buses
(Photo by S.Subramanium: The Hindu Buses on Delhi road)
New Delhi,India -The Deccan Herald -Apr 26, 2014: -- The Delhi Transport Department is considering floating a global tender to add more buses to its fleet. Indian bus-makers Tata and Ashok Leyland are not keen on supplying new low-floor buses to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), a senior transport official said... The city has some 6,000 buses, but transport officials say that the city needs twice the number... The Sheila Dikshit government had also failed to buy 1,200 buses from Indian companies to make up for the shortfall... Sources say that the two Indian companies are finding it difficult to keep up with rising cost of bus maintenance...Labels: busmakers news India
BUSMAKERWS NEWS * USA & Canada: Ameritrans´- Thor Industries´
* Ontario /Canada - First long range, zero-emissions, all-Electric bus: BYD 12 meter electric, first approved for sales in
Ottawa,ONT,CAN -BUSINESS WIRE/The WSJ -April 17, 2014 -- The BYD Electric Transit Bus, making news across North America, is now approved for sale and operations in Canada after earning the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) Certification and being placed on the "Vehicle Manufacturers Registry" with Transport Canada. Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) prescribes the minimum performance levels that vehicles and equipment must meet to run on Canadian roads and includes several standards beyond the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Evidence of a vendor meeting these standards as well as "other documents including an Approved Motor Vehicle Safety Test Method, a Technical Standards Document, and/or another third party published test methodology, and are essential to remove ambiguities about the specified tests and testing methodologies to be used in certification testing" ...
* Indiana - Ameritrans Bus is preparing to open a new factory in Elkhart
(Photo: A bus made by Ameritrans in Elkhart)
Elkhart,IND,USA -The Elkhart Truth, by Jeff Parrott -March 28, 2014: -- An Elkhart-based bus maker is expanding its local plant and adding jobs, the company announced Friday, March 28... Ameritrans Bus Inc. will invest $429,384 to renovate and equip its new 60,000-square-foot facility, growing its Elkhart employment from 78 to 113, a 45 percent increase, by 2017...
* Indiana - Thor buying RV maker K-Z
(Photo: Monaco RV plant in Wakarusa, in February)
Elkhart,IND,USA -South Bend Tribune, by JIM MEENAN -April 19, 2014: -- Thor Industries, one of the largest makers of recreational vehicles in the United States, got larger Thursday... They said Thursday that it is purchasing recreational vehicle manufacturer K-Z Inc., of Shipshewana, for about $53.4 million, subject to adjustment... The purchase includes the company complex consisting of 396,000 square feet of office and production space spread among six primary facilities...Labels: busmakers news Canada and USA
BUMAKERS NEWS * UK - Arriva & Direct Group´s
* Staffordshire - Direct Parts, in wins national Arriva contract
(Picture by Malcolm HartFrom left, group sales director Phil Patten; UK bus procurement manager for Arriva, Richard Yoxall; and Roy Kendrick, group managing director for Direct Group)
Cheddleton,Staffordshire,UK -The Sentinel, by By ANN KING -April 09, 2014: -- Commercial vehicle specialist Direct Group has won a national contract to supply equipment to one of the country's biggest transport companies... The group's Direct Parts business, based in Cheddleton, will supply a range of steering and hydraulic equipment to Arriva for its bus fleet... It is predicted that by 2017, the UK will produce more than two million cars per year – higher than its all-time record of 1.92 million in 1972...Labels: busmakers news UK
* SAFETY BUSES * USA
* California - Feds revisit safety rules after fiery bus crash
(Photo by JEREMY LOCKETT/AP: A charter bus erupted in flames after a FedEx truck crashed into the vehicle head-on on a California highway last week)
Red Bluff,CAL,USA -AO/Manufacturing Net, by Fenit Nirappil and Joan Lowy in Washington, D.C./Terry Chea in San Francisco/Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles -14 April 2014: -- Federal transportation authorities are investigating ways to minimize death and injuries in bus crashes following the fiery wreck leaving 10 dead when a FedEx truck slammed into a bus carrying high school students in Northern California... On Thursday, the truck driver veered across the Interstate 5 median, sideswiped a sedan and collided with the bus, leaving no tire marks to suggest he had applied his brakes. Dozens of injured students escaped through windows before the vehicles exploded into towering flames and billowing smoke in Orland, Calif., 100 miles north of Sacramento. The sedan driver told investigators the truck was in flames before the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board investigators found no physical evidence of a pre-impact fire or other witnesses to confirm that account... The bus' black box-style electronic control module was recovered, and investigators will use other tools to reconstruct the truck's speed and maneuvers. Blood tests can tell if the drivers were impaired. The investigation will also review maintenance records and the drivers' medical histories...Labels: bus safety rules
* BUSMAKERS NEWS - Africa/Nigeria
* Nigeria: Auto Policy - Manufacturers condemn importation of buses
Abuja,Nigeria -All Africa -5 April 2014: -- Auto manufacturers in Nigeria have condemned alleged plan by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Senator Bala Mohammed to import 100 buses from China when there are buses available in the nation's auto plants... Last week, a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the minister, said the administration had purchased 100 mass transit buses to beef up the existing Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company (AUMTCO) fleet plying the territory. The statement said the production of the buses would be completed this month in China, and would be delivered in April... The manufacturers, under their body, the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA), have appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to revoke the and to remind the minister of Nigeria's new Automotive Policy, which they said the minister disregard...Labels: busmakers news Africa
* BUSMAKERS NEWS - China: Ankai´s
* Anhui - Ankai Bus passes U.S "Acceleration Control System" test
(Photo)
Hefei,Anhui,China -China Buses/Anhui News -14 April 2004: -- Ankai once again double-decker bus hit the U.S. market, and get "acceleration control system" test project. Ankai become the first test of China by the bus manufacturers... Kai luxury double-decker tour buses begin in 2008 with the U.S. DOT certification, then continue exporting to countries around the world, Ankai have passed the certification WVTA EU countries, Australia ADR certification export certification, and passed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA13 Euro IV emission standards and emission standards...Labels: busmakers news China
* India - Smaller buses for DTC
* Delhi - Fleet shrinking, DTC looks at hiring smaller buses
(Photo: Large DTC buses on Delhi streets)
New Delhi,India -The Indian Express, by Ruhi Bhasin -April 16, 2014: -- The shortage of buses in Delhi, combined with poor response from manufacturers to tenders floated by the Delhi Transport Corporation, has pushed DTC to explore the option of hiring midi buses — 30-32-seater buses — which are likely to be introduced on a pilot basis on existing and new routes, where the ridership is not very high... The decision to go for smaller buses was taken as the acquisition of standard buses was taking longer than planned... For better response, DTC has, in fact, decided to opt for semi-low floor, non-AC buses as the high maintenance cost of low-floor buses is proving to be a deterrent for bus manufacturers to participate in the bidding process. Around 6,000 buses are operating in the city...
* Delhi - Bus manufacturers fined, but breakdowns still order of day
(Photo)
New Delhi,India -TNN -Apr 17, 2014: -- Last year, between April and September 2013, Delhi Transport Corporation penalized the two manufacturers of its fleet a substantial Rs 20.08 crore. The penalty was for breakdowns of the low floor buses that were procured by DTC in 2010 and are maintained by Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland as part of their service contract... This year it's no different. In February this year, the figure was 3.58 buses breaking down every 10,000km. DTC sources say that the unofficial figure is even higher. "More than 350 buses break down every day. A majority are low floor," added the official...
* Maharashtra - Black boxes on buses may become a reality
Mumbai,MAH,India -The Business Standard. by Swaraj Baggonkar -April 26, 2014: -- Concerned with rising cases of bus accidents across the country government authorities may soon finalise rules making it mandatory for long distance buses to install devices similar to black boxes seen on airplanes.
These inter-city buses could then be monitored in real time relaying vital feedback to the control room including location of the bus, speed of the vehicle and driving habits of the driver among several other details.
Overspeeding and driver fatigue were some of the common reasons behind spurt in bus accident recorded recently...Labels: busmakers news India
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